Actress Learns Her Niece Is Among Bar Shooting Victims

People comfort each other as they stand near the scene Thursday in Thousand Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)People comfort each other as they stand near the scene Thursday in Thousand Oaks, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

(Newser)
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Authorities are still trying to piece together the facts regarding the mass shooting at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, that left 13 people dead, including the gunman. "We have no idea what the motive is at this point," says the local sheriff. Here is what is known so far, including sad news for Sister Sister actress Tamera Mowry-Housley:

The shooter: He's been identified as Ian David Long, 28, ABC News reports. Witnesses say he was clad in black and said nothing before opening fire in the Borderline Bar & Grill with a legally purchased Glock .45-caliber handgun. Police think he died of a self-inflicted gunshot inside the bar. The Los Angeles Times also has this odd detail: Police believe the gunman drove his mother's car there.

Former Marine: Long served in the Marines for five years, including a tour in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, reports NBC News. He left the military in 2013. In April of this year, police responded to his home on a complaint of disturbing the peace and found Long to be "somewhat irate and acting irrationally." However, he was not taken into custody after an evaluation by mental health professionals. A neighbor tells the LAT that he thinks Long had PTSD. "I know he tore the house up." Long lived with his mother.

My heart aches for all these victims.VA did ask me about owning weapons.I told them of course I do,if someone breaks in on me what do you expect me to do throw pillows at em?

wisenheimer

Nov 9, 2018 11:07 AM CST

If ya tell 'em about it at the VA, it's like water rollin' off a duck's back. i.e., is not acknowledged....And, is the niece now more 'signified' than the other victims?

Brian G.

Nov 9, 2018 7:07 AM CST

The odds of someone that legally buys a gun using it in this manner are odds I can live with. There are roughly 290,000,000 guns in this country. 72 'legal' guns have been used in "mass shootings". 300,000 of those legal guns are stolen from the rightful owners every year (on average - https://www.businessinsider.com/criminals-steal-guns-from-legal-gun-owners-2017-11 ). So that means that 0.0000248% of the legally owned guns in this country are used for mass shootings. I will concede that even 1 is too many, but think about how much worse it could be, but it's not.